The majority of the Midwest scored lower than 95 on the study.
Graphic provided by MERIC
Mo. retains No. 11 rank on cost-of-living index
SBJ Staff
Posted online
Missouri ranked 11th in the second quarter on a recently released cost-of-living study, on par with the first quarter of the year.
The Show-Me State’s cost-of-living index for the three-month period was 91.6 on a 100-point scale measuring groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous services and products. A lower score indicates lesser costs, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center of the Department of Economic Development, citing data from the Council for Community and Economic Research.
During the quarter ended June 30, Missouri’s index scores were:
• 78.6 in housing;
• 94.2 in groceries;
• 94.8 in transportation;
• 95.1 in the miscellaneous category;
• 97.2 in health care;
• 105.8 in utilities.
The No. 1 state was Mississippi, which held an overall rank of 84.3. Hawaii bottomed the list with its 166.9 index, according to the study.
Of the six Missouri cities included on the study, Springfield ranked second with its index of 87.6, below Joplin’s 86.9 score. The Queen City’s indexes were:
• 70.6 in housing;
• 92.3 in miscellaneous;
• 92.7 in transportation;
• 93.4 in groceries;
• 94.6 in health care; and
• 102 in utilities.